Accessory For Inhibiting Beverage Foaming

ABSTRACT

According to one embodiment of the invention, the present invention is directed to an accessory for inhibiting foaming of a beverage while the beverage is being poured, the accessory comprising: a slide ( 10 ), wherein the form and size of which being adapted to allow pouring of beverage ( 22 ) from a beverage dispenser, through the slide, into a cup ( 20 ), thereby preventing the beverage to fall from a distance into the cup, thereby inhibiting the foaming thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of foam inhibiting in beer,carbonated beverages, and so on. More particularly, the inventionrelates to an accessory for inhibiting foaming while pouring a beverage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dispensers for carbonated beverages are known. When dispensingbeverages, such as beer and carbonated drinks, there is a tendency forthe liquid to foam as it is dispensed, which some people dislike, andfurthermore, the foaming beverage may overflow the cup into which it ispoured.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,145 discloses an apparatus for controlling foamingand flow rate in a beverage dispensing system, such as a draft beerdispensing system. A flow-regulating member is positioned within afaucet member, at the delivery end of the beer dispensing system, tobalance the dispensing system to, in turn, further prevent break-up ofthe beverage into foam.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,801 discloses a carbonated beverage dispenser whichcomprises a passageway between the carbonated beverage and an outletvalve thereof. A foam-inhibiting portion of the passageway progressivelydecreases, then increases, then decreases, and finally increases againin the flow area. Preferably, the flow-inhibiting portion of the passagecomprises a chamber containing two spherical bodies, which float or movefreely in the chamber.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,973 discloses an antifoaming agent deposited on astirring or straw element to be placed in a beverage receptacle. Thedisposition of this material on the element speeds up the pouringprocess and is useful in high volume environments, such as airliners,convenience stores, and college bars.

As such, there is a long felt need to provide a solution to the foamingof a beverage, especially beer and carbonated beverages, while pouring.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the invention, the present invention isdirected to an accessory for inhibiting foaming of a beverage (such asbeer, carbonated liquid, and so on) while the beverage is poured, theaccessory comprising:

-   -   a slide (10), wherein the form and size of which is adapted to        allow pouring of beverage (22) from a beverage dispenser,        through the slide, into a cup (20),        thereby preventing the beverage to fall from a distance into the        cup, thereby inhibiting the foaming thereof.

The accessory may further comprise one or more connectors (18), forconnecting the slide (10) to a cup (20).

The accessory may further comprise a connector, for connecting the slide(10) to a beverage dispenser (such as bottle 30).

According to one embodiment of the invention, the connector comprises aring (12) connectable to a beverage dispenser (such as bottle 30), and ajoint (14), allowing changing the angle between the ring and the slide,thereby allowing folding the slide when not in use, and unfolding theslide when in use.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the form of the slideallows it to be placed into a cup (as illustrated in FIG. 5).

According to one embodiment of the invention, the slide is an integralpart of the cup (as illustrated in FIG. 6).

According to one embodiment of the invention, the width of the slideexpands downwards (as illustrated in FIG. 3 b), thereby increasing theinhibiting effect.

Preferably, the side of the slide through which the beverage flows isconcave.

The slide may be made of plastic, metal, cardboard, polyethylene, hardmaterial, soft material, elastic material, and so on.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the length of the slide isadjustable. This can be obtained by using a telescopic mechanism.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in theembodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate theunderstanding of the invention. They are meant to be merelyillustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of theinvention have been described and illustrated in conjunction withsystems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative,and not limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments and features of the present invention are described hereinin conjunction with the following drawings:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a beverage bottle 30, on which ismounted an accessory 2 for inhibiting foaming of the beverage uponpouring, according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a pouring operation via the accessoryillustrated in FIG. 1.

Each of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b schematically illustrates an accessory 2 forinhibiting foaming of the beverage upon pouring, according to oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates accessory 2 of FIG. 1, separated frombottle 30.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an accessory 2 for inhibiting beveragefoaming upon pouring, according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an accessory 2 for inhibiting beveragefoaming upon pouring, according to yet another embodiment of theinvention.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be understood from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments, which are meant to be descriptiveand not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features,methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are notdescribed in detail.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a beverage bottle 30, on which ismounted an accessory 2 for inhibiting foaming of the beverage uponpouring, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Accessory 2 comprises a slide 10, connected by joint 14 to ring 12,which is placed on the bottle's neck.

Preferably, the inner diameter of the ring is a little bit greater thanthat of the neck of bottle 30, thereby allowing the ring to stayattached to the bottle's neck even when the bottle's lid 16 is removed.

Joint 14 allows changing the angle between ring 12 and slide 10, and asthe ring is being connected to the bottle neck, the joint allowschanging the angle between the slide and the dispenser (bottle). Thus,the slide can be folded when not in use, and unfolded in order to beused.

Joint 14 may take the form, for example, of a thinner line in comparisonto the thickness of the ring.

Ring 12 and joint 14 are used as a connector for connecting slide 10 toa beverage dispenser.

Preferably, the side of the slide through which the beverage flows isconcave.

When a beverage, especially beer or a carbonated beverage, is pouredinto a cup from a distance (i.e., there is no continuity of beveragefrom the dispenser to the cup), it results in foaming. The greater thisdistance, the more intensive the foaming effect. However, when thebeverage is poured into the cup via a slide, when the slide touches thebeverage present in the cup, it generates a continuity of beverage fromthe dispenser to the cup, i.e., the beverage does not fall from adistance into the cup, thereby the foaming effect is inhibited.Furthermore, even if the beverage is poured from a distance into thecup, the slide that intermediates between the dispenser and the cupdecreases the distance, and therefore inhibits the foaming effect, asthe smaller this distance, the lesser the foaming effect.

In order to use the accessory, a user thereof has to position the lowerside of the slide away from the bottle, and pour the beverage onto theslide. The joint allows separating the lower side of the slide from thebottle, while the upper side of the slide remains connected to thebottle neck.

The angle between the slide and the ring is adjustable.

The slide may be made of plastic, metal, cardboard, polyethylene, and soon.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a pouring operation via the accessoryillustrated in FIG. 1.

As illustrated, the angle between slide 10 and the bottle neck causesthe poured beverage 22 to slide along slide 10. Thus, the slide bridgesbetween the bottle neck and cup 20 into which beverage 22 is poured,thus, instead of falling from a distance, the liquid slides along slide10, thereby inhibiting the foam.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a connector 18, for connecting theaccessory to a cup, as detailed in FIG. 4 and the description thereof.

Each of FIGS. 3 a and 3 b schematically illustrates an accessory 2 forinhibiting foaming of a beverage upon pouring, according to oneembodiment of the invention.

The difference between the embodiments is that in the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 3 b, the width of the lower side 34 of slide 10 isgreater than the width of the lower side of slide 10 of FIG. 3 b. Thewider the lower side 34 of the slide, the wider the area on which thepoured liquid spreads, resulting in a finer flow of liquid, resulting inless foaming.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates accessory 2 of FIG. 1, separated frombottle 30.

Connectors 18 of the accessory allow attaching the accessory to cup 20while slide 10 is disposed into cup 20. In this situation, the beverageis poured on slide 10 instead of falling into the cup from a distance,thereby diminishing the foaming, as explained above.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an accessory 2 for inhibiting beveragefoaming upon pouring, according to another embodiment of the invention.

According to this embodiment of the invention, accessory 2 does notcomprise means for attaching the accessory to a dispenser. Thus, theaccessory comprises only slide 10. Preferably, the form of the slide isadapted to correspond to the dimensions of cup 20.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an accessory 2 for inhibiting beveragefoaming upon pouring, according to yet another embodiment of theinvention.

According to this embodiment of the invention, accessory 2 is anintegral part of cup 20, i.e., attached to the cup rather thanattachable to the cup. The slider may be attached to the cup in themanufacturing process of the cup.

In the figures and/or description herein, the following referencenumerals have been mentioned:

-   -   numeral 2 denotes a beverage dispenser, such as a beverage        bottle, a beverage tap such as taps used for pouring beer in a        bar, and so on;    -   numeral 10 denotes a slide, through which a beverage is poured        into a cup, thereby inhibiting foaming of the beverage;    -   numeral 12 denotes a ring, connected by joint 14 to a beverage        dispenser, such as a bottle, a tap, and so on;    -   numeral 14 denotes a joint connecting ring 12 and slide 10;    -   numeral 16 denotes a lid of bottle 30;    -   numeral 18 denotes a connector for connecting slide 10 to cup        20;    -   numeral 20 denotes a cup;    -   numeral 22 denotes a beverage;    -   numeral 30 denotes a beverage bottle, as an example of a        beverage dispenser;    -   numeral 32 denotes the upper side of slide 10; and    -   numeral 34 denotes the lower side of slide 10.

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of theinvention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the abovedescription in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should tobe interpreted according to this definition.

1. An accessory for inhibiting foaming of a beverage while said beverageis being poured, the accessory comprising: a slide, wherein the form andsize of which is adapted to allow pouring of beverage from a beveragedispenser, through said slide, into a cup, thereby preventing saidbeverage to fall from a distance into said cup, thereby inhibiting thefoaming thereof.
 2. An accessory according to claim 1, furthercomprising one or more connectors, for connecting said slide to a cup.3. An accessory according to claim 1, further comprising a connector,for connecting said slide to a beverage dispenser.
 4. An accessoryaccording to claim 3, wherein said connector comprises a ringconnectable to a beverage dispenser, and a joint, allowing changing theangle between said ring and said slide, thereby allowing folding saidslide when not in use, and unfolding said slide when in use.
 5. Anaccessory according to claim 1, wherein the form of said slide allowssaid slide to be placed into a cup.
 6. An accessory according to claim1, wherein said slide is an integral part of said cup.
 7. An accessoryaccording to claim 1, wherein the width of said slide expands downwards,thereby increasing the inhibiting effect.
 8. An accessory according toclaim 1, wherein said beverage is selected from a group comprising:beer, carbonated liquid, and so on.
 9. An accessory according to claim1, wherein the side of the slide through which the beverage flows isconcave.
 10. An accessory according to claim 1, wherein said slide ismade of a substance selected from a group comprising: plastic, metal,cardboard, polyethylene, hard material, soft material, elastic material,and so on.
 11. An accessory according to claim 1, wherein the length ofsaid slide is adjustable.